Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2018)

Work‘bots’

T e near-shore and inland workboat f eet is at the leading edge for autonomous vessel development t’s happening now. Out ahead Sea-Machines also partnered with More recently, towboat operator KO-

While the advent of au- of the rulemaking process, au- Marine Spill Response Corporation TUG demonstrated a remote-controlled tonomous technology providers (MSRC) to autonomously control a tugboat over a long distance, from Mar- tonomous workboats are already churn out not just pro- Munson boat to deploy and tow a spill seille, France to Rotterdam. A KOTUG

Itotypes and designs, but also collection boom working in tandem captain took control of the tug via re- not exactly mainstream, countless workboats, many already in with a 210-foot MSRC spill response mote secured internet line and camera service. In the last 12 months, these vessel. In direct competition with Sea- images, all based in Marseille. you better believe that in ? rms have been collectively busy. Machines, ASV Global is working on In July, a major development saw

Vancouver-based naval architects autonomous projects with a similar fo- shipbuilder Metal Shark join forces the not-too-distant fu-

Robert Allan Ltd., and Kongsberg cus. ASV recently partnered with UK’s with ASV Global to introduce “Shark- ture they will be a real-

Maritime are collaborating on the de- Peel Ports Group to develop autono- tech” Autonomous Vessels. Metal Shark velopment of a remotely-operated ? re- mous vessel technology for shallow is now offering Sharktech autonomous ity on waterways in and boat that will allow ? rst responders to survey operations. Spill response is also technology on its entire portfolio of alu- attack ? res more aggressively and safer a big part of ASV’s product develop- minum vessels.

around the U.S. Today than ever before. Separately, in Korsør, ment efforts. Metal Sharks’ Josh Stickles ex-

Denmark, Boston-based Sea Machines Another stakeholder, Florida-based plained, “A number of years ago we there remain more ques- demonstrated the capabilities of its SeaRobotics Corporation recently de- turned our focus to autonomous vessel

SM300 product aboard an autonomous- livered two 2.5 meter autonomous un- technology as an area of future growth tions than answers, par- command, remote-controlled, TUCO manned surface vehicles (USVs) to the and since that time have been closely

Marine built ? reboat. Marine ? re? ght- Canadian Hydrographic Service, a part following the progress of leading au- ticularly on the legal, ing is an autonomous application that of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, bring- tonomous technology developers. ASV appears to have legs. ing the ? eet to four systems. Global (which was recently acquired by logistics and insurance side of the coin. But the

Metal Shark: Metal Shark join forces with L3 ASV Global to introduce “Sharktech” technology is evolving

Autonomous Vessels. at record pace, provid- ing many in the industry with mixed emotions.

Excitement. Controversy.

Curiosity. Skepticism.

These are just a few of thoughts, and emotions that arise to any mention of the topic of autono- mous vessels.

By Joseph Keefe

Image: Metal Shark 34 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2018

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